Man is becoming more and more anxious about the harm caused by these insects. Having adapted to city life, they can find their ways into kitchens and living rooms, inside and outside buildings, and can even take world trips in modern vehicles.

Urbanologists say that nearly half of the world's population is living in cities today, compared with 1.7 percent at the beginning of the 18th century. "With urbanization, more insects have migrated from the countryside to the city," said one of them.

Global warming, humidity and the wide use of air-conditioners have created a favorable environment for insects to live in and reproduce rapidly, say scientists attending a recent seminar on the harm caused by insects and held in the capital city of Zhejiang Province, east China.

In recent years termite plagues have been reported in many parts of China.

In south China, 40 to 50 percent of houses and 80 to 90 percent of antique buildings are endangered by termites.

China spends an average of 830 million yuan (US$ 10 million) per year to repair the embankments destroyed by clusters of termites.

Making use of the biological chain, scientists have raised bethyloids and aphid lions in the Temple of Heaven, a site of historic interest in Beijing open to tourists as a park, to rid it of longhorn beetles and aphids that harm the trees.

The biological chain and modern genetic engineering are also helping scientists to get rid of mosquitoes and cockroaches in many cities.

Insect plagues have given rise to a growing number of professional companies that provide consulting services and help rid hotels, hospitals, vehicles, offices, workshops as well as communities and households of insects. The services and pesticides they offer have great market potential, says an expert.

(China Daily November 2, 2001)